Michael Evans

Evans v. City Of Chicago

On August 8, a federal court jury refused to award any damages to Michael Evans, a man who spent 27 years in prison for a rape and murder before he was freed by a DNA test and pardoned.

The jury deliberated for a day and a half before finding that none of the police officers sued by Evans were liable for damages. The jury also rejected claims by Evans' attorneys that he was framed by Chicago homicide detectives who were eager to close a high-profile case. Evans' attorneys had suggested to the jury that it might be appropriate to award more than $58 million in damages to Evans.

"30 years ago a miscarriage of justice took place ... Another miscarriage of justice took place here today," said Locke Bowman of the MacArthur Justice Center

Evans' attorneys have filed an appeal, which is being briefed in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Updated - 08/08/2006

MacArthur Justice Center Lawsuit Seeks Compensation for Man Who Served 27 Years for Wrongful Conviction

The MacArthur Justice Center and other attorneys filed a lawsuit (pdf) on May 24, 2004, on behalf of Michael Evans who was wrongfully imprisoned for 27 years. Mr. Evans and Paul Terry were found innocent of murder last year by DNA testing. The lawsuit, which names the City of Chicago and more than a dozen current and former police officials in the notorious Area 2 police station as defendants, seeks compensation for the nearly three decades the men spent in prison after allegedly being framed by the Chicago Police for a crime they didn't commit.